Systems and methods for processing recurring payment transactions

Abstract

Systems and methods for updating payment card records in real time for payment cards registered to be used for recurring payments in which the payment card itself is not present. In one aspect, a method for processing card-not-present recurring payment (CNP/RP) transactions is provided. The transactions include recurring purchases made by a cardholder using payment card information stored by a merchant. The method includes receiving, at an interchange network, a first authorization request message for the transaction, and querying a database coupled to the interchange network to determine whether the database includes updated payment card information for a payment card used in the transaction. The method also includes transmitting the updated payment card information from the interchange network to the merchant and updating the payment card information stored by the merchant to match the updated payment card information received from the interchange network.

1 . A method for processing card-not-present recurring payment (CNP/RP) transactions including recurring purchases made by a cardholder using payment card information stored by a merchant, said method comprising:
 receiving, at an interchange network, a first authorization request message for the transaction;   querying a database coupled to the interchange network to determine whether the database includes updated payment card information for a payment card used in the transaction;   transmitting the updated payment card information from the interchange network to the merchant; and   updating the payment card information stored by the merchant to match the updated payment card information received from the interchange network.   
     
     
         2 . A method in accordance with  claim 1  wherein receiving a first authorization request message comprises creating the first authorization request message, wherein the first authorization request includes a flag that signifies that the first authorization request relates to a CNP/RP transaction. 
     
     
         3 . A method in accordance with  claim 1  wherein receiving a first authorization request message comprises identifying, by the interchange network, the first authorization request message as relating to a CNP/RP transaction. 
     
     
         4 . A method in accordance with  claim 1  wherein querying a database comprises determining whether the database includes an account number associated with the payment card that is different from an account number stored by the merchant for the payment card associated with the transaction. 
     
     
         5 . A method in accordance with  claim 1  wherein querying a database comprises determining whether the database includes an expiration date associated with the payment card that is different from an expiration date stored by the merchant for the payment card associated with the transaction. 
     
     
         6 . A method in accordance with  claim 1  wherein querying a database comprises determining whether the database includes an account cancellation flag associated with the payment card signifying that the account has been canceled. 
     
     
         7 . A method in accordance with  claim 1  wherein transmitting the updated payment card information for the interchange system to the merchant comprises creating an authorization response message that includes a flag that signifies that the authorization response message includes the updated payment card information. 
     
     
         8 . A method in accordance with  claim 1  wherein updating the payment card information stored by the merchant comprises:
 creating a second authorization request message that includes the updated payment card information obtained from the database;   transmitting the second authorization request message to an issuer;   processing the second authorization request message to generate an authorization response message including one of an authorization code for the transaction and a denial code for the transaction; and   transmitting the authorization response message to the merchant.   
     
     
         9 . A method in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the database does not include updated payment card information for the payment card used in the transaction, said method further comprises:
 transmitting the first authorization request message to an issuer;   processing the first authorization message to generate an authorization response message including one of an authorization code for the transaction and a denial code for the transaction; and   transmitting the authorization response message to the merchant.   
     
     
         10 . A network-based system for processing card-not-present recurring payment (CNP/RP) transactions including recurring purchases made by a cardholder using payment card information stored by a merchant, said system comprising:
 a computer associated with the merchant, said merchant computer coupled to a merchant database for storing information for a payment card that is registered to be used in the transaction;   an interchange network comprising an interchange database for storing updated information for the payment card and an interchange server configured to be coupled to said merchant computer and said interchange database, said interchange network server further configured to:   receive, from said merchant computer, a first authorization request message for the transaction;   query said interchange database to determine whether said interchange database includes updated payment card information for the payment card registered to be used in the transaction; and   transmit the updated payment card information to said merchant computer, wherein said merchant database updates the payment card information stored in said merchant database to match the payment card information stored in said interchange database.   
     
     
         11 . A system in accordance with  claim 10  wherein said merchant computer is configured to create the first authorization request message that includes a flag that signifies that the first authorization request message relates to a CNP/RP transaction. 
     
     
         12 . A system in accordance with  claim 10  wherein said interchange server is further configured to identify the first authorization request message as relating to a CNP/RP transaction. 
     
     
         13 . A system in accordance with  claim 10  wherein said interchange server is further configured to query said interchange database to determine whether said interchange database includes at least one of:
 an account number associated with the payment card that is different from an account number stored in said merchant database for the payment card associated with the transaction;   an expiration date associated with the payment card that is different from an expiration date stored in said merchant database for the payment card associated with the transaction; and   an account cancellation flag associated with the payment card signifying that the account has been canceled.   
     
     
         14 . A system in accordance with  claim 10  wherein said interchange server is further configured to create an authorization response message that includes a flag that signifies the presence of updated payment card information within the authorization response message. 
     
     
         15 . A system in accordance with  claim 10  further comprising computer associated with an issuer, said issuer computer configured to be coupled to said interchange server, said merchant computer further configured to:
 create a second authorization request message that includes the updated payment card information; and   transmit the second authorization request message to said issuer computer, wherein said issuer computer is further configured to process the second authorization request message to create an authorization response message including one of an authorization code for the transaction and a denial code for the transaction.   
     
     
         16 . A system in accordance with  claim 10  wherein said interchange database does not include update payment card information, said interchange server is further configured to transmit the first authorization request message to a computer associated with an issuer, said issuer computer is configured to process the first authorization request message to create an authorization response message including one of an authorization code for the transaction and a denial code for the transaction. 
     
     
         17 . A computer coupled to a database for processing card-not-present recurring payment (CNP/RP) transactions including recurring purchases made by a cardholder using payment card information stored by a merchant, said computer programmed to:
 receive a first authorization request message from the merchant;   determine whether a database includes updated payment card information for the payment card used in the transaction; and   transmit the updated payment card information to the merchant, wherein the merchant updates the payment card information stored by the merchant to match the updated payment card information.   
     
     
         18 . A computer in accordance with  claim 17  wherein said computer is further programmed to identify the first authorization request message as relating to a CNP/RP transaction based on a CNP/RP flag inserted into the first authorization request message by the merchant. 
     
     
         19 . A computer in accordance with  claim 17  wherein said computer is further programmed to determine whether the database includes updated payment card information by querying the database for at least one of:
 an account number associated with the payment card that is different from an account number stored by the merchant for the payment card associated with the transaction;   an expiration date associated with the payment card that is different from an expiration date stored by the merchant for the payment card associated with the transaction; and   an account cancellation flag associated with the payment card signifying that the account has been canceled.   
     
     
         20 . A computer in accordance with  claim 17  wherein said computer is further programmed to create an authorization response message that includes a flag signifying the presence of updated payment card information within the authorization response message, wherein the merchant uses the updated payment card information to modify the stored payment card information. 
     
     
         21 . A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for processing card-not-present recurring payment (CNP/RP) transactions including recurring purchases made by a cardholder using payment card information stored by a merchant, said computer program comprising at least one code segment that:
 receives payment card information stored by the merchant, the payment card being used in a CNP/RP transaction;   compares the payment card information stored by the merchant to payment card information stored in a database;   determines whether the database includes updated payment card information for a payment card used in the transaction; and   transmits the updated payment card information to the merchant, wherein the merchant updates the payment card information stored by the merchant to match the updated payment card information.   
     
     
         22 . A computer program in accordance with  claim 21  further comprising at least one code segment that creates a first authorization request message that includes a flag that signifies that the first authorization request message relates to the CNP/RP transaction. 
     
     
         23 . A computer program in accordance with  claim 22  further comprising at least one code segment that determines whether the first authorization request message relates to the CNP/RP transaction based on the flag. 
     
     
         24 . A computer program in accordance with  claim 21  further comprising at least one code segment that determines whether the database includes at least one of:
 an account number associated with the payment card that is different from an account number stored by the merchant for the payment card associated with the transaction;   an expiration date associated with the payment card that is different from an expiration date stored by the merchant for the payment card associated with the transaction;   an account cancellation flag associated with the payment card signifying that the account has been canceled; and   creates an authorization response message that includes a flag signifying the presence of updated payment card information within the authorization response message.   
     
     
         25 . A computer program in accordance with  claim 22  further comprising at least one code segment that creates a second authorization request message that includes the updated payment card information, wherein the second authorization request message is processed by an issuer to create an authorization response message including one of an authorization code for the transaction and a denial code for the transaction.